Roald Dahl | First Editions

1916 - 1990

Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short story writer, poet, screenwriter, and fighter pilot. He is one of the most beloved children's writers of all time, and his books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide.

Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, Dahl served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence officer, rising to the rank of acting wing commander. Dahl began writing fiction for both children and adults, and rose to prominence in the 1940s. Today, Dahl is one of the world's best-selling authors, and has been referred to as "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century". His awards for contribution to literature include the 1983 World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement, and the British Book Awards' Children's Author of the Year in 1990. In 2008, The Times placed Dahl 16th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".

Dahl's short stories are known for their unexpected endings and his children's books for their unsentimental, macabre, often darkly comic content, featuring villainous adult enemies of the child characters. His books champion the kind-hearted, and feature an underlying warm, moral current. Roald Dahl died on 23 November 1990, at the age of 74. According to his granddaughter, the family gave him a "sort of Viking funeral". He was buried with his snooker cues, some very good burgundy, chocolates, HB pencils and a power saw. Today, children continue to leave toys and flowers by his grave.

See below our stock of Roald Dahl First Editions, fine bindings, sets, and signed copies.

London: Jonathan Cape, 1989. First Edition, slim quarto. Publisher's navy blue cloth with titles in gilt to the spine. Colourful dust jacket in that unique "Blake" style. No inscriptions. Jacket is price-clipped. A lightly used copy in near fine condition. Book Collector No.271, 'The Great Illustrators'.More

London: Century, 1991. FIRST EDITION. pp.24. Quentin Blake illustrations throughout, some in colour. Publisher's dark blue cloth in pictorial dust-wrapper priced at £6.99. Mildly handled. A few small marks to jacket. Near fine. A short novel: Reverend Lee doesn't realise that his dyslexia is affecting his sermons. His parishioners are... More

London: Viking, 1993. [Children's classic]. FIRST VIKING EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.64. Publisher's purple cloth, gilt titles to spine, in pictorial dust-jacket. Top and tail of spine slightly rolled, bottom corners slightly bumped, some creasing to the top and bottom edges of the dust-jacket. Very good. The story of... More

London: Michael Joseph, 1960. SIGNED FIRST EDITION. A famous collection of dark short stories by one of the world's most celebrated children's authors. Bound in dark green publisher's cloth in a pictorial jacket depicting two love hearts, designed by Charles E. Skaggs. Boards in very good condition, small marks to... More

London: George Allen and Unwin, 1968. First UK Edition. Quato. Bound in publisher's pictorial paper boards, displaying the unnamed protagonist and her magic finger to boards, titles to spine; pictorial blue endpapers, front showing the outstretched finger, and the rear showing a pair of focused eyes. Binding is a little... More

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